Maziya Rally Past Buru 2-1 to Close in on Cup Winners Cup Final

Maziya Sports and Recreation Club came from behind to defeat Buru Sports Club 2-1 on Thursday, taking a significant step towards securing a place in the final of the 2026 Cup Winners Cup.

The victory at Galolhu National Stadium marked Maziya’s second successive win in the competition after opening their campaign with a 2-1 triumph over Odi Sports Club. Earlier this season, the reigning Charity Shield holders also lifted the season’s first trophy by defeating New Radiant Sports Club in a penalty shootout.

Maziya now lead the Cup Winners Cup standings with six points from two matches and are on the verge of qualifying for the final. Their place will be confirmed if New Radiant avoid defeat against Odi in Thursday night’s fixture.

For Buru, the defeat ended any hopes of reaching the final. They had begun the tournament with a heavy 5-0 loss to New Radiant and have now lost both of their matches.

Maziya controlled much of the opening half, enjoying the lion’s share of possession and creating several clear opportunities. In the fourth minute, Nassah Ibrahim Nasir forced Buru goalkeeper Hassan Alif Ibrahim into an excellent save with a curling effort from outside the penalty area. Minutes later, Ahmed Aiham “Fatho” also tested the goalkeeper with a powerful long-range strike, but Alif was once again equal to the task.

Despite Maziya’s dominance, Buru stunned their opponents by taking the lead in first-half stoppage time. Moments after Abdulla Yameen “Yaanu” struck the crossbar from a free-kick, Areen Abdulla Ibrahim latched onto a chance outside the box and fired beyond Maziya goalkeeper Hussain Shareef to make it 1-0. Ali Hamdhan “Ayya” played an important role in creating the scoring opportunity.

Maziya wasted little time responding after the restart. Ibrahim Aisam restored parity in the 48th minute with a composed finish to make it 1-1.

The turnaround was completed five minutes later when Nigerian striker Benjamin Kuku converted from close range after Serbian defender Nemanja Dravković picked him out inside the penalty area, giving Maziya a deserved 2-1 advantage.

Buru’s hopes of finding a late equaliser were effectively ended when Rilwan Waheed “Riley” was shown a second yellow card and sent off, forcing his side to play the closing stages with ten men.

The result leaves Maziya within touching distance of the Cup Winners Cup final. Their qualification now rests on the outcome of the later match between New Radiant and Odi, with a win or draw for New Radiant enough to send Maziya through to the title decider.